Parents bothered by age maximum in Chicago schools

Although the CPS age cap for preschool, kindergarten and first grade has been longstanding policy, the district just began uniformly enforcing it this year at magnet schools.

March 31, 2011|By Cynthia Dizikes, Tribune reporter

Mary Stephenson Schroeder held her son Jonathan, 5, in preschool for another year because she did not think he was ready for kindergarten. (José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune)

Jonathan Schroeder was a congenial and curious 4-year-old, but preschool proved challenging.

He rarely raised his hand to speak, stuck close by his teacher and set a year-end goal to spend less time hiding in the bathroom.

So when it came time to enroll him in kindergarten, his parents researched and debated before making a decision that has become increasingly popular during the past several decades: They gave Jonathan another year to grow older, bigger and maybe a bit more confident.

They also unwittingly broke the rules.

When the Schroeders entered Jonathan into this year's kindergarten lottery for a slot at one of the city's elite magnet schools, Chicago Public Schools officials notified them that he had exceeded the district's age limit because he will turn 6 in July. His only option was to apply directly to first grade.

"I started crying, I was so angry," Mary Stephenson Schroeder said at the Wicker Park home she shares with her husband and three children. "I feel like I made all these plans for what I thought would be best for him and they just threw it out the window."

The practice of kindergarten "redshirting" became more common in the 1990s as course work turned from coloring and singing about the alphabet to reading, simple arithmetic and standardized testing. In 2009, 17 percent of kindergartners were 6 or older by October that school year, up from about 5 percent in 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

But redshirting has not been without controversy. While some educators say that delaying kindergarten can lead to better grades, athletic ability and self-esteem, others say any academic and social advantages are short-lived and may be eclipsed by greater challenges once children reach puberty in middle school.

At CPS, the intent of a hard-line approach was partly to ensure greater equity among Chicago children vying for a limited number of positions at the district's top schools, general counsel Patrick Rocks said in an interview this week.

Although the CPS age cap for preschool, kindergarten and first grade has been a longstanding policy, the district just began uniformly enforcing it this year at its competitive magnet schools.

"If an individual can gain maturity and can gain confidence in the testing process by virtue of a parent deciding to hold a child for a year … (it) isn't fair because the same rules should apply to everyone," Rocks said.

In Chicago's suburbs, school principals insist only that children turn 5 by the start of the September of their kindergarten year. Most districts set no caps on how old kindergarteners can be when they enroll, with some early childhood teachers even advising parents of children born in the summer months to consider giving their kids "the gift of another year."

Similarly, New York City public schools and Los Angeles Unified School District will make exceptions for older children. And Los Angeles is piloting a two-year transitional kindergarten initiative in order to handle the redshirting wave, said Whitcomb Hayslip, a consultant for the program.

"We are trying to fill that niche for kids who may not be ready, while creating more options for families who may not have money to hold their children out of public school for another year," Hayslip said.

Many parents worry about the social and emotional effects of starting their children too early, pointing to research indicating that boys may mature at a slower rate than girls when it comes to language and fine motor skills. On the other end, some parents also fret that their children may be the oldest in the class and will be bored and possibly unruly.

The age cutoff at CPS is Sept. 1, meaning that if a child turns 5 on or before that date his parents should enroll him in kindergarten. Similarly, if a child is 6, he must enter first grade.

Marjorie Rice's son, Isaac, was born on Sept. 1 and is now one of the youngest students in his first grade class. Although he has excelled, earning As and Bs, Rice said she still worries about the challenges he may face in the future.

"It's a question that is always on my mind," Rice said. "Should I have held him back? Should I hold him back this year? What is going to happen in high school?"

Risa McDonell said cutoff dates seem more arbitrary for children born closer to them. She wanted to enroll her son, who can already do basic math and read, in a magnet kindergarten this year but was told she couldn't because he turns 5 at the end of September.

"It really bothers me that I don't have that option," McDonell said. "They are really stopping parents who know their kids better than the bureaucrats."

In response to recent comments about the cap, CPS officials said they have begun a districtwide audit to check overall compliance and are now considering having a commission evaluate the possibility of adding flexibility.